The Sforno took a new and original approach to this matter; this is his language: "It is a night of watching for the Lord to bring them out" – He was anticipating bringing them out, "for He does not afflict willingly" (Lamentations 3:33), but He did not find Israel ready and deserving of redemption until that night. That night He was watching and anticipating because He desires kindness, as our sages said (Haggadah of Pesach), that the Holy One, blessed be He, calculates the end. "This is the night of watching for the Lord" – Just as He was watching and anticipating the redemption of Israel all the days of their exile in Egypt, so is He watching and anticipating the future redemption of Israel, as it says (Isaiah 30:18): "Therefore the Lord will wait to be gracious to you." "For all the children of Israel throughout their generations" – as they said, in Nissan they were redeemed, and in Nissan they are destined to be redeemed. End quote.

Now, his explanation of the first 'watching' does not contain a novelty, as it is similar to Rashi's words, only adding an explanation of why the Holy One, blessed be He, had to wait and did not redeem them immediately. Sforno explained that the delay was not from Him, blessed be He, but because Israel was not ready and deserving of redemption until that night, as it is written, "for He does not afflict willingly," meaning the Holy One, blessed be He, does not afflict a person from His heart and of Himself, but the person causes it through his sins. Indeed, in his explanation of the second 'watching' there is a significant novelty – the astute observer will notice it in the opening phrase of his words (beginning with "This is the night of watching for the Lord") – and that is, that the word 'watching' is not connected with what follows it, so that the reading of the verse is: "This is the night for the Lord" – "watching for all the children of Israel throughout their generations," but rather with what precedes it, so that the reading of the verse is: "This is the night of watching for the Lord" – "for all the children of Israel throughout their generations." According to this, both instances of 'watching' mentioned here refer to the Lord, the first teaching about His anticipation for the redemption from Egypt, and the second, about His anticipation for the future redemption.

It should be noted regarding Sforno's words that, seemingly, the cantillation marks indicate otherwise, for the word 'for the Lord' is marked with a Zakef Katan, which is one of the major disjunctive accents, while the word 'watching' is marked with a Tevir, which is a secondary disjunctive accent. Therefore, the word 'watching' is necessarily separated from 'for the Lord,' and connected with 'for all the children of Israel' that follows it, and the reading of the verse is: "This is the night for the Lord" – "watching for all the children of Israel throughout their generations," contrary to Sforno's words.